Martha Stewart reports to prison

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Celebrity homemaker Martha Stewart has reported to a West Virginia prison to begin her five-month sentence for lying about a stock sale, the Bureau of Prisons said on Friday.

"Dear Friends," Stewart's website said, "By the time you read this, I will have reported to a minimum-security prison in Alderson, West Virginia, to begin serving my five-month sentence."

Stewart built a vast media empire that included her popular cooking and home improvement television shows, magazines household products bearing her name.

She was sentenced to prison after she and former stockbroker Peter Bacanovic were convicted in March of lying to federal investigators about why Stewart sold 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems Inc. stock in December 2001. They received the same sentence - five months in prison plus five months of house arrest.

Both were allowed to remain free pending appeal. But Stewart elected to begin serving her time anyway.

"As I announced in September, although my lawyers remain very confident in the strength of my appeal and will continue to pursue it on my behalf, I have decided to serve my sentence now because I want to put this nightmare behind me as quickly as possible for the good of my family and my company," said Stewart's website statement.

"While I am away, my updates here will be less frequent, if not altogether impossible. But please know this change is only an unfortunate reflection of my current circumstances, and in no way diminishes my commitment to my life's work or to the friends, colleagues, customers and supporters who make it possible," it said.

"With your good wishes in my heart, I am looking forward to being back at work in March, and to many brighter days ahead."

A Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman said inmates who are sentenced to a year or less are not eligible for early release because of good behaviour.

Stewart also will forego five months of her pay from her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., while she is in prison. A new employment contract approved on September 17 says the company will resume paying her when she leaves prison and is on home confinement.

Stewart will be eligible for jobs that pay only 12 cents to 40 cents an hour while in prison.